[libvoikko] HFST support to libvoikko in Debian and Ubuntu?

[Gaup Børre]

On 2016-01-09 13:39, Timo Jyrinki wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Would there be interest in working in getting HFST enabled libvoikko
> in Debian (and therefore also Ubuntu) within this year?
Hi!

I could try to give a hand with this work. I've been using Debian and 
Kubuntu for many years. I have no experience with real packaging, but 
have sometimes repackaged some software for my own needs when necessary.
> I've packaged foma now and it's in Debian's NEW queue which is a slow
> process so it might take a while. That'd enable VFST libvoikko 4.0 +
> voikko-fi 2.0 which I've already prepared but waiting for foma.
>
> I'm searching for a person who would commit to the packaging work in
> Debian. I can help with packaging review, tips, sponsoring etc stuff
> but I wouldn't want to expand my own existing commitments. That is,
> the "Maintainer" field would be you or several persons.
>
> The next Debian version will be frozen in Q4/2016, which in practice
> means because of the slow processes that the package should be ready
> for uploading this spring. The NEW queue handling is slow, the package
> might got rejected to be reworked despite reviews, etc.
>
> I'd like to also just understand what would need to be packaged for
> this to happen? That is, all libraries and tools to both build
> libvoikko with HFST support and building the HFST dictionaries. Is it
> only hfstospell for libvoikko, but hfst itself too for building the
> actual dictionaries? And then source packages for the dictionaries
> like hfst-northernsami.
When building libvoikko, only hfstospell is needed.
For the dictionaries, hfst is needed.
> Harri has an existing packaging for hfstospell which can be used as a
> baseline: https://github.com/voikko/debian-packages/tree/master/.
hfst has been packaged by apertium. Those packages might be used as 
baseline for hfst?
> Modern Debian packaging is not complex on the one hand (debian/rules
> is the main "build intelligence" in the packaging, and it's two lines
> in eg that hfstospell), but on the other hand getting all the other
> data 100% correct and according to policies
> (https://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/) does require significant
> effort. I estimate 8h as minimum of strictly packaging work for the
> HFST dependencies, and months for the overall process. But as
> mentioned, I'm willing to instruct via e-mail as long as someone has
> the resource of time and willingness to learn.
>
> I will continue to maintain libvoikko, voikko-fi, libreoffice-voikko
> and now foma. My hope would be to get the new libvoikko 4.0 with VFST
> to Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.
>
> -Timo

-- 
Børre Gaup
Divvun
UiT Norgga árktalaš universitehta
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